2016 is fast coming to an end. I thought it might be interesting to share with you some photographs I snapped over the course of the year.

There is no rhyme or reason to these images, they are more a pictorial diary of my year.

No1 – The city skyline of Melbourne.

During the school holidays I was called upon to look after two of my grandchildren. I snapped this shot from the waterfront at Williamstown, looking across Hobson”s Bay, while we were talking an evening walk.

No2 – Barongarook Creek Bridge.

I had seen a 19th century postcard taken from almost the same spot I stood to take this photograph. It was my intention to attempt emulating his work.

The postcard photographer would have been standing in the middle of what is now the Princes Highway. There were two reasons I chose to stand on the footpath to take my shot. The first is the busyness of the highway (the main carriageway in and out of Colac) and the tree to the left of the bridge would have blocked out the old Post Office and the old Shire Hall.

No3 – Lake Bullen Merri.

This lake is near Camperdown, a small town near where I live. Though reasonably close to my home, I had not visited the area for sometime.

No4 – Memorial Square.

This Memorial is situated on the main street of Colac, near where I live.

No5 – Otway Ranges

The seaside town of Apollo Bay sits at the foot of the range of mountains simply known as the Otways. Here the houses seemed to be dwarfed by the mountains behind them.

No6,7,8,9 – Lake Colac.

By the autumn of 2016 the lake had almost dried up. No decent rain had fallen for a couple of years and it seemed that Lake Colac would dry up completely for only the second or third time since European occupation.

No10 – Lake Colac.

However winter and spring gave us some of our wettest months for a long time. And, though far from being full, it, at least, looks like a lake again.

No11 – The old Prince of Wales Inn.

The bridge in the foreground of this photograph was washed away by rushing water after a deluge that lasted all one night and most of the next day.

No12 – Storm Front.

I took this photograph from my front verandah. Just minutes after I clicked the shutter, the heavens opened up and I watched nature at her most fierce. I spent the next few hours in darkness as the electricity failed.

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In 2007 the new pier at Lorne was opened, and I have heard it is a big hit with fishermen who gather at the end of it with their rods. The end has been designed with platforms where fisherman can dangle their lines and are clear of the pedestrians and sightseers. It is built of concrete and steel, and, in my opinion lacks soul.

The old one, which was over a hundred years old, was built from large timber poles and planks. It had character; like a wizened weather beaten old man with a face full of creases who keeps you enthralled with stories from times past. As I walked over the large planks with cracks that allowed me to see through to the waves below, I could feel the history this ancient structure exuded.

This morning was an early start. I headed off to Lorne situated on the Great Ocean Road on the south west coast of Victoria in Australia. After a quick breakfast (black coffee and an egg and bacon roll) at the local bakery it was down to business setting up the tripod and camera.

The images below are the best from my first shots. There are others that I am in the process of developing to follow in future posts.

At the start of the year I decided that I was going to highlight on my blog the most popular image for the month. I turned around and suddenly it was March – the first day of an Australian autumn. Here are the most viewed images for January and February. I would also like to thank all my followers for taking the time to click like and comment. I appreciate your support.

It is rare that I do two posts on the same day. However the year is about to end and I wanted to share these images with you. These images were taken some weeks ago, and I was going to make them the subject of a post earlier, but somehow they stayed hidden in my library. I’ve been reviewing my images for the year and came upon them.

I remember arriving at the lake as the sun was about to disappear below the horizon. The light was fading fast as I started pressing the shutter button.

To all who have visited my blog, to all my followers, thank you for your support and may you all have a Happy and Prosperous 2013.

These images are from a couple of years ago. This is the new jetty at Lorne on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia.

It replaces an old timber jetty that was over a hundred years old: And, of course, does not have the same character!

The old jetty was constructed of logs and sawn timber, but the years had taken its toll on the rotting wood. But, the fact that the timber has been replaced with concrete, does not seem to deter the fishermen who sit their with their lines cast every weekend.

Jetty, at Lorne on the Great Ocean Road – taken at a disappointing sunrise

Jetty on the Great Ocean Road – taken a few hours later, when the light was a bit better

A collection of photographs and paragraphs describing the natural beauty and wildlife of the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh and beyond.**** All pictures are taken by yours truly with Canon Powershot SX50HS****